Airplay Apple Music or Spotify album art only displays for first song

Apple TV 4 running tvOS 9.2

Airplay from iPhone 6S running iOS 9.3.2


When playing music to Apple TV from iOS the album art only displays for the first song in an album or playlist. After the next song the album art shows a grey music note. This is intermittent, but it happens often. Seems to happen more consistently with Spotify but also happens with Apple Music. User uploaded file

Posted on Jun 9, 2016 7:16 PM

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9 replies

Jun 10, 2016 9:14 AM in response to bjorn.b

I've noticed this when AirPlaying Slacker Radio to my ATV 4. In my case they are single long jazz tracks, and the album cover may not stick to the end of the track. Of course, Slacker doesn't resend it, since it's already been sent. I guess the software decides it's had enough and drops the image. You could try reporting it at the Apple feedback site, but I expect it will be low priority.

Jun 17, 2016 12:54 AM in response to bjorn.b

This isn't internet radio. This is Airplay of individual songs over Airplay from Apple Music which I pay for.


I pay for the cover art and I want to see it on my AU $265 streaming box from my AU $889 iPad playing AU $11.99 a month Apple Music Subscription. You get my point yeah? It's like a music shop trying to sell a CD without the cover art and saying it's low priority because you can still "hear" the music.


Can someone from Apple update me on this? This is still happening all the time, even from Apple Music. Seems to have got worse.


User uploaded file

Aug 2, 2016 9:26 PM in response to bjorn.b

I have this problem occasionally. But my usual experience is that every song in a playlist has cover art unless it comes from the same album (and shares the same cover art) as the preceding song.

I've tried this out with streaming every music service available in Australia, using Airplay from my iphone 6S Plus.

I should add this only happens with my Apple TV (4th generation) and never on my 3rd generation ATV.

There is only one service that delivers perfect playback with full cover art (roughly 95% of the time) and that is Deezer.

With every other service the album art disappears from the second song on the same album and doesn't return until a track from a different album (with different cover art) is played.

I'm wondering if anyone is savvy enough (I wish I was, but alas I'm not) to check the code in Deezer's app to see what they do differently.

That way we could pass the info on to Apple and get the issue fixed.

It amazes me that Apple Music has this problem considering Apple creates both Apple TV and the music app on the iPhone.

Aug 2, 2016 9:32 PM in response to bjorn.b

I share your frustration and feel the same thing.

I get the impression Apple would prefer us to use Apple Music natively on Apple TV to promote that service and make airplay seem a second rate alternative.

The fact they got rid of the now playing option reinforces this assumption in my mind.

I'm wondering if you can replicate my experience with Deezer (you can get a free month trial to do so) which works flawlessly for me.

If so, I'll submit to Apple that the solution to the problem might be found in the code Deezer uses in its iOS Apps.

Assuming Apple is actually interested in fixing this glitch. ;-)

Aug 15, 2016 1:06 AM in response to brlo1973

I can replicate this too using Apple Music on an iPhone 6s iOS 10.0 (14A5322e)


Create an Apple Music playlist:

- Add two songs to a playlist from different albums

- Add two songs from the same album consecutively

- Followed by two songs to the playlist from different albums


Play playlist via Airplay to Apple TV 4:

-The first two songs the album artwork will display correctly

-The third song will display correctly

-The fourth song (second of the same album) will show the blank music note

-Any further songs from the same album will display the blank music note

-Songs continuing along in the playlist from different albums will trigger a artwork refresh/redraw and will display correctly.

Aug 24, 2016 9:01 AM in response to vazandrew

I already submitted feedback months ago. So now what? Still not fixed in iOS 9 or even any of the iOS 10 betas.


Try and follow the steps I posted and see if you have no problems. I've tried this on 2 Apple TV 4 devices so far and they both had the same issue.


And yes, I want to continue using Airplay. If you search this forum this has been a known issue since 2011!


AirPlay Album Art only shows for first track.

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Airplay Apple Music or Spotify album art only displays for first song

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